Kabul

The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack at a restaurant in Kabul on Monday that killed at least seven people, including a Chinese national. Afghan authorities are continuing to investigate the incident.

According to a statement posted on IS’s Aamaq news agency, a suicide bomber entered a restaurant popular among Chinese nationals and detonated an explosive vest during a gathering. The group claimed 25 people were killed or injured, including Taliban guards, though this figure could not be independently confirmed.

Interior Ministry spokesperson Mufti Abdul Mateen Qani said the exact cause of the blast remains under investigation. The IS statement echoed previous attacks and included threats targeting Chinese nationals, citing Beijing’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims as justification.

The explosion occurred in the Shahr-e-Naw district at a restaurant co-owned by an Afghan man and a Chinese couple. Police spokesperson Khalid Zadran said the blast happened near the kitchen, killing one Chinese national and six Afghans, while several others were injured.

The Italian charity EMERGENCY, which runs a surgical facility nearby, reported receiving 20 casualties from the incident, including seven fatalities. Chinese broadcaster CCTV confirmed that two Chinese citizens were seriously injured and that a security guard died. Afghan media footage showed smoke rising from the scene as people fled the area.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the bombing, attributing it to a bomb, and criticised the Taliban government for failing to prevent militant activities on Afghan soil. The remarks came after Tajik border guards killed four gunmen crossing from Afghanistan, whom officials said were drug smugglers.

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Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, IS has carried out multiple attacks in Afghanistan, targeting civilians, security personnel, and foreign nationals.